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The Brittney Palmer Diet

Read on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles on proper nutrition from the biggest names in mixed martial arts...this week, Octagon Girl Brittney Palmer

Flawless face, girl-next-door charm, spell-binding 34-24-36 curves. Brittney Palmer is a stunning sight to behold no matter the setting or occasion. But as the 25-year-old UFC ring card girl/Playboy cover model/sushi addict was quick to remind me, natural beauty only carries you so far. Looking your best requires a certain lifestyle, Brittney noted, and for her that means plenty of cardio at the gym and discipline at the dinner table. SORRY TO ASK A WOMAN ABOUT HER WEIGHT BUT …

I like to be 119 pounds or below. But at the end of the day it’s just how you look and how you fit in your clothes. That’s what is most important.

OVERCOMING CAREER-THREATENING ADVERSITY

I got into a car accident when I was 21 years old and was working with WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting). I was pinned in my car and it was really bad; I fractured my pelvis in three places.

I couldn’t walk for three months after the accident so I had to try and stay in shape with dieting and juicing. I was on crutches and would try to get in the pool just to get some kind of cardio in. When I returned to the WEC I was definitely heavier, but eventually my body returned to normal form.

I actually just went to the chiropractor yesterday because I’m still having severe pain. My right leg gets jammed in my hip so my boyfriend constantly pulls it out of the socket.

It definitely affects me whenever I train and run. It’s an injury I will have with me forever, but I was lucky to walk away without even worse injuries.

THE BRITTNEY PALMER DIET

A) Morning: The Green Drink (a green veggie-packed powder mixed with water that is said to be the equivalent of 8 servings of veggies)

B) Following a morning workout: A salad or sushi (made with brown rice instead of the traditional white rice)

C) Later in the day: Protein shake mixed with almond milk

I usually eat 1-2 meals a day and then consume protein shakes. That’s what works for me. I don’t eat many carbs and try to stay away from sugar. I never eat French fries and I don’t remember what a donut tastes like.

I’m half English, then French, Scots-Irish and German. So being half-English and having that European blood –my family is on the curvy side so I have to watch out for everything. I’ve discovered what is good for my body and what isn’t. I thought drinking coconut water every day was the best thing for you but it’s loaded with sugar. As soon as I stopped I noticed a difference.

My body type is responsive to lots of cardio so I’ll do an hour of cardio and some abs, or 30 minutes of cardio and some yoga.

A WEAKNESS FOR …

Frozen yogurt! I’m kind of a chocolate and peanut butter kind of a girl.

CONQUERING BODY HANG-UPS

At the end of the day, we are whoever we are and I don’t really have any other option. I work as hard as I can, this is the way I look and after that I can’t beat myself up over it. Hopefully everyone likes me for who I am.

It was a struggle when I was younger, but now I’m older and you discover who you are, so …

CHALLENGES ON THE ROAD

You can always find something healthy to eat. The airport is probably the hardest place to eat healthy so I always bring protein powder with me and I’ll have a protein shake until something healthier comes along. No bread, no ice cream, no cookies, no cakes or fried foods. My job is to look good and a day in the gym is like a day in the office. FAVORITE CITIES TO DINE IN:

Montreal, probably. It’s a very cool place, it’s beautiful and they have great food and little cafes. I love French food.

If we ever have a fight in New York that would be really cool, too. I live in Los Angeles; we’ve got some of the best restaurants in the world here, too.

ADVICE FOR OTHER WOMEN

Don’t drive yourself too crazy (about your weight). Be the best you possibly can with what’s available to you. If you need to lose 15 or 20 pounds you have to understand that – depending on how much you weigh - that’s a lot of weight and you don’t want to kill yourself. Doing your best is all you can do. You don’t want short-term solutions; you want something long-term so you might have to completely change your lifestyle.

I’m in my mid-20s and I’m getting older so I know that weight is only going to stick. So good eating and diet habits are something you need to change forever. It’s a lifestyle.

FIGHTER DIET VS. RING CARD GIRL DIET:

Fighters eat a lot more protein – you know, they’re men so they eat a lot more! Fighters have to eat very strict; that’s the career path that they chose. I still like to enjoy myself and have a cocktail and a dessert here and there, so we definitely have different diets. Their diets probably would help me but I won’t be opting for that any time soon.

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